Cricket
Nat Sciver-Brunt is the No 1 ranked ODI batter in the world and top-10 for all-rounders in both T20s (8th) and ODIs (3rd); her 59 off 54 saw England secure opening T20 win over South Africa; watch the second T20, live on Sky Sports Cricket, Wednesday – first ball from 4pm
Tuesday 26 November 2024 16:11, UK
Sophie Ecclestone hailed England team-mate Nat Sciver-Brunt as “one of the greatest of all time” after her match-winning knock in the first T20 of their tour of South Africa.
Sciver-Brunt’s 59 from 54 balls helped rescue the tourists from 65-4 to chase down 143 in a jittery four-wicket win in the series-opening clash in East London.
The two teams square off again in the second T20 in Benoni on Wednesday – live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3.40pm (first ball, 4pm) – and, speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Ecclestone sung the praises of Sciver-Brunt.
“I think Nat will go down in history as one of the best all-rounders in the world, one of the greatest of all time,” Ecclestone said.
“She proves day in, day out, how good she can be and how because she is with the bat and the ball. Hopefully she can continue that.”
Ecclestone did, however, admit that England weren’t yet at their best in that opening win over the Proteas in East London, agreeing with head coach Jon Lewis’ sentiment that it was only a “six-and-a-half out of 10” performance.
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Lewis’ side are looking to bounce back from a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in October, with a Women’s Ashes tour of Australia looming in the new year.
Sciver-Brunt steers England to T20 win over South Africa
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“We’ve had some tough conversations on how to get better as a team,” Ecclestone said. “It has just been about how we play as a team and how we want to go about it. It’s about how well we perform under pressure.
“In those tough games, sometimes we don’t play our best cricket.
“We’re always looking to improve… obviously, we’re trying to catch up to the Aussies, who are still a bit ahead of us.
“There’s no time to dwell on things, we’ve got to get back to playing our best cricket, with the Ashes coming up.”
One player, in particular, who struggled for form in England’s short-lived Women’s T20 World Cup campaign was Alice Capsey, the 20-year-old prodigious batting talent returning only 29 runs off 35 balls faced for her three innings at No 3 in the tournament.
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Capsey’s struggles resulted in her being dropped for the T20 leg of the tour of South Africa before being reinstated due to injury concerns within the squad, but she did not play in the opening win over the Proteas.
“When she got dropped, it hurt me,” Ecclestone said. “It felt like I’d been dropped; my best friend, my little sister not being picked for an England tour, I was absolutely gutted for her.
“We all know how amazing she is. I feel like we forget how young she is, she’s 20 years old and has come straight into a professional environment, into World Cups.
“I played my debut in front of 2,000 people at Bristol, and she’s coming in playing in Ashes series at a sold-out Lord’s.
“I’m trying to keep a smile on her face and get her back in this team, because I love playing alongside her for England.”
Wicketkeeper-batter Seren Smale and seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay have been called up to England touring squads of South Africa.
Smale has been added to both the T20 and Test squads as cover for Amy Jones, following the withdrawal of Bess Heath to a fractured thumb. MacDonald-Gay has only been added to the Test squad.
The pair, aged 19 and 20 years old respectively, both made their senior international debuts as part of England tour of Ireland in September.
Neither player has been added to the ODI squad.
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